“People are getting tired of his habit of wanting to step in at a certain moment and act at being King Solomon,” said Republican strategist Curt Anderson. “Things are not going well in the country, and so the idea of ‘I’m a bystander’ is not what people want.”

Obama’s approach, however, may well find more than a little resonance with Boehner…

“The days of earmarks are over. He has very little at his disposal in order to enforce discipline,” says Republican strategist Ron Bonjean. “Instead of horse-trading, it is a matter of trust.”

Lehane, the Democratic strategist, agreed. “Now, when the Speaker has less leverage, it is probably the right approach,” he admits. “It’s not like we are in the time of Lyndon Baines Johnson in the Senate or even Tip O’Neill in the House, where you could lead through threats.”